Inasmuch Foundation announces $4.154 million in grants

OKLAHOMA CITY – Inasmuch Foundation announced today the distribution of $4.154 million in grants. Grants were awarded to 47 organizations serving Oklahoma communities.

Inasmuch Foundation, founded by Edith Kinney Gaylord in 1982, supports education, health and human services and community enhancement initiatives that enrich the quality of life for Oklahomans.

“As evidenced by the sheer volume of grant applications received this cycle, nonprofit organizations across Oklahoma are working hard to serve their communities” said Bob Ross, President and CEO of Inasmuch Foundation.  “We are proud to support the efforts of our fellow Oklahomans through the grants announced today.”

Grants were awarded to organizations for projects addressing the foundation’s areas of interest as follows:

Education

• $250,000 to Oklahoma State University for construction costs for the new Michael and Anne Greenwood School of Music.
• $150,000 to Oklahoma City Public Schools for membership in the Urban School Human Capital Academy, helping the district improve teacher and principal quality and supporting overall education reform.
• $150,000 to Teach For America – Oklahoma City to provide initial training and ongoing professional development for TFA teachers and alumni leaders.
• $125,000 to Smart Start Central Oklahoma for Early Birds and their work to ensure that young children enter school safe, healthy, eager to learn and ready to succeed.
• $75,000 to Oklahoma Arts Institute for Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain.
• $45,000 to Reach Out and Read Oklahoma to continue incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together.
• $25,000 to Armed Services YMCA in support of their efforts to become a nationally accredited three star child development center in 2018.
• $25,000 to Harding Charter Preparatory High School to expand STEM classrooms and programs.
• $25,000 to Harding Fine Arts Academy to prepare students for college in an academically-challenging, arts-integrated environment.
• $25,000 to Independence Charter Middle School to implement Advancement Individual Determination (AVID) curriculum, nurturing student analytical thinking.
• $25,000 to Tulsa Honor Academy in support of their work to develop successful college graduates who will transform their communities.
• $10,000 to Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness Foundation for expenses related to the Early Childhood Research Symposium.

Health and Human Services

• $400,000 to ReMerge of Oklahoma County for a comprehensive program that provides an alternative to incarceration for non-violent female offenders with minor children.
• $250,000 to Dean McGee Eye Institute to renovate the third floor of the Thomas E. Acers, MD Pavilion.
• $205,000 to Center for Employment Opportunities to provide comprehensive employment reentry services in Oklahoma City and Tulsa to those with recent criminal convictions.
• $82,500 to Catholic Charities to provide low-cost legal assistance in family-based immigration law.
• $80,000 to Healthy Minds, Healthy Lives Foundation for the Oklahoma County Pay for Success project for young families involved in Family Drug Court.
• $75,000 to HopeHouse OKC to provide safe, nurturing, housing communities for homeless families seeking a holistic transition to healthy living.
• $50,000 to Family and Children’s Services for the Women in Recovery program, a three-phase alternative to incarceration for female offenders.
• $50,000 to NorthCare to provide in-home support to kinship foster families.
• $40,000 to Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma to focus on the resolution and prevention of legal problems for participants in ReMerge, a diversion program for women with minor children.
• $40,000 to Volunteers of America Oklahoma to provide financial management services to Oklahoma City residents who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
• $35,000 to Halo Project International Foundation to provide counseling to those impacted by foster care and adoption; and to enable decisions based upon the best practices of trauma-informed care.
• $30,000 to Latino Community Development Agency for a Parent Educator to provide high quality evidence-based services to families.
• $25,000 to Community Action Project of Tulsa County for the New Teacher Job Training Program in Early Education.
• $25,000 to Crossroads Youth & Family Services for the Lawton Early Childhood Program in partnership with Community Action Project of Tulsa County.
• $25,000 to Oklahoma Lawyers for Children to provide legal services and educational advocacy for children in the Oklahoma County foster care system.
• $25,000 to Resonance for community reentry programs, including intensive substance abuse treatment and post-release transitional work and housing.
• $25,000 to Shiloh Summer Camp to provide a summer camp with adventure activities and exposure to fine arts to low-income children.
• $25,000 to Thrive in support of a comprehensive, collective impact approach to teen pregnancy prevention.
• $25,000 to Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City for education, job, housing, health and other programs promoting social and economic equality.
• $25,000 to Youth & Family Services to provide short-term housing and life-skills training for youth who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.
• $20,000 to Tulsa Community Foundation for the Take Control Initiative, an effort to reduce the high rates of teen pregnancy.
• $15,000 to Daily Living Centers to provide weekday adult day care services to those with limited financial resources.
• $15,000 to Dragonfly Home for an emergency shelter for victims of sex trafficking.
• $15,000 to Stand in the Gap for programs empowering local churches to offer practical support to people in need.

Community Enhancement

• $575,000 to Oklahoma City Ballet for season support and renovations to its new facility.
• $250,000 to Oklahoma City Museum of Art for special exhibitions, learning and engagement, outreach efforts, film programs, and the Yellow Bus Program.
• $250,000 to Stafford Air and Space Museum for the capital campaign for museum expansion.
• $200,000 to Oklahoma Philharmonic Society for the 2018-19 Classics Series and the 2018 Red, White and Boom free community concert at State Fair Park.
• $150,000 to National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum for construction of a hands-on learning environment exploring the cultures that shaped Oklahoma.
• $84,000 to Oklahoma City Beautiful for landscape maintenance at and around Oklahoma City Educare.
• $37,500 to Oklahoma Humanities for Let’s Talk About It, Oklahoma, a reading and discussion program.
• $20,000 to deadCenter Film Festival for the film festival, screenings for kids, and a University program for high school and technology center students.
• $20,000 to Executive Service Corps of Central Oklahoma to support consulting services to nonprofits.
• $20,000 to Oklahoma Children’s Theatre for productions, camps and classes and community outreach.
• $15,000 to Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park for the upcoming season of classical plays and educational programming.

Letters of Inquiry for the next cycle are due August 15, 2018. To learn more about Inasmuch Foundation, visit www.inasmuchfoundation.org or call 405-604-5292.